My Background
Why I Do This Work
I became a therapist because I care deeply about creating the kind of space many of us never had growing up: a space where your emotions make sense, your needs matter, and you don’t have to minimize your pain to make others comfortable. I’ve seen how powerful it is when someone finally feels safe enough to exhale, to soften a little, to let someone else carry the pain with them for once. That’s the work I love: helping people feel steady enough, supported enough, and safe enough to navigate what’s been hurting.
Like many of my clients, I grew up with complicated family dynamics, learned to feel responsible for everyone else’s emotions, and carried things quietly because speaking up didn’t always feel safe. I know how heavy it can feel to move through the world trying to keep everything together while parts of you feel tired, anxious, or alone. I also know what its like to be in the "client's seat," as I myself have been in therapy for 8 years and counting. I've seen the magic that can happen firsthand and am committed to supporting my clients in the same way.
Credentials & Education
I hold a Master of Social Work (MSW) from Baylor University and a B.A. in Human Dimensions of Organization from the University of Texas at Austin. My clinical experience includes providing therapy and crisis intervention across a range of settings, including community mental health, schools, hospice care, and specialized treatment programs for OCD and eating disorders.
My Approach
The Foundation of My Practice
To me, therapy is a collaborative space for exploring the parts of ourselves that feel confusing, painful, or stuck. It’s a space where we can be honest without judgment, slow down, and tend to experiences that may have been minimized or misunderstood elsewhere. Therapy isn’t about “fixing” you. It’s about understanding your story, helping you to unlearn what no longer serves you, and helping you build a more compassionate relationship with themself.
Approach
At the heart of my work is the belief that therapy is more about connection, curiosity, and creating space to be fully human, rather than just “fixing problems.” I believe healing happens in spaces that are compassionate, curious, and non-judgmental, and that’s what I strive to offer every client.
I integrate CBT, DBT, ACT, ERP, emotion-focused and somatic therapies to make sense of what you’re experiencing, challenge the thoughts and behaviors that keep you stuck, and discover new ways of relating to yourself that feel freeing and sustainable.
Philosophy and Values
My work is deeply rooted in a trauma-informed, relational, and strengths-based framework. I believe that symptoms often make sense in the context of our histories and lived experiences, and that healing happens through compassion, curiosity, and connection rather than pressure or perfection. I’m also guided by values like authenticity, attunement, cultural humility, and anti-oppression. I find people are happiest when they feel like they can show up as their authentic self no matter what room they are walking into. I want to help you build that internal sense of security, and to me that starts with creating a secure, safe, and trusting relationship with you.
Inava Wellness: Vision and Mission
Inava Wellness was created from a belief that real healing is about finding balance.
Learning how to hold both your strength and your softness, your past and your possibilities, your fear and your capacity to heal.
My vision for Inava Wellness is to build a space where people feel grounded, understood, and supported as they find their own path, especially those navigating trauma, OCD, and eating-related concerns.
So many of my clients come in feeling stuck between two worlds: wanting to move forward but weighed down by what they've carried. Inava Wellness exists to help them find a steadier center.
My Mission
To help people find internal balance
Trauma, OCD, and eating/body struggles often pull people toward rigidity or overwhelm. My mission is to help clients rediscover the part of themselves that knows how to self-soothe, self-trust, and find internal steadiness again.
To make mental health care accessible and grounded
Through groups, education, and community offerings, I want to make therapy feel less like a last resort and more like an approachable, supportive resource.
To humanize the healing process
Balance requires humanity. It requires space to be messy, imperfect, and real. I strive to create an environment where people can show up exactly as they are—with no pressure to perform or present a polished version of themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if therapy is right for me?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or curious about your patterns, therapy might be a good fit. People often come to me for support with anxiety, depression, OCD, eating disorders, trauma, relationship challenges, life transitions, or simply a desire to understand themselves more deeply. I’ll meet you exactly where you are; there’s no need to have everything figured out before you begin.
What does therapy look like in session?
Some sessions are more reflective, unpacking your week or a relationship dynamic. Others focus on distressing thoughts or behaviors (like OCD compulsions or eating disorder urges) through approaches such as ERP or behavioral experiments. I also explore how early attachment or trauma experiences show up in your life. I notice and name patterns, stay curious about internalized beliefs & work with you to build self-compassion. The most important thing is that the space feels safe and collaborative.
How often should I come to therapy?
I recommend people start with weekly sessions to build momentum, but we can always adjust the frequency depending on your needs and availability. I’ll work with you to find a rhythm that feels supportive and sustainable.
How long does therapy take?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Some people benefit from short-term therapy (a few months) for specific concerns, while others choose to do longer-term work to explore deeper patterns. I’ll go at your pace, and we can revisit your goals together along the way.
Do I need a diagnosis to start therapy?
Not at all. You don’t need a formal diagnosis to begin. My focus is on your story and your experiences, not just a label.
What if I don’t know what to talk about?
That’s completely okay. I’ll guide our sessions with curiosity and compassion, and sometimes even silence can open the door to meaningful insights. You don’t need to come in “perfectly prepared” - just willing to begin.
How should clients prepare for their first session?
I don’t expect clients to prepare anything formal. Just come as you are. Usually they already know the answer to these questions, but if not I might ask them to have a rough idea or theory on what’s been bringing them into therapy, any patterns or struggles they've noticed, and what they hope to feel or experience differently.
How can you tell if clients are benefiting from working with you?
I look for signs like increased self-awareness or self-compassion, a shift in how clients respond to distressing thoughts or emotions, feeling more resourced or connected in their relationships, and noticing that behaviors or patterns feel less automatic or overwhelming. I also check in regularly to ask how therapy is feeling and whether the direction we’re moving in still feels useful and aligned with their goals.